INTRODUCTION isprs archives XLI B6 57 2016

A FRAMEWORK FOR AN OPEN SOURCE GEOSPATIAL CERTIFICATION MODEL T. U. R. Khan a , P. Davis b , F.-J. Behr a a Department of Geomatics, Computer Science and Mathematics, Stuttgart University of Applied Sciences, Stuttgart, Germany - franz-josef.behrhft-stuttgart.de, tanzeelrehman130hotmail.com b Del Mar College, Director GeoAcademy, Del Mar College, Corpus Christi, Texas, USA - pdavisdelmar.edu Commission VI, WG VI3 KEY WORDS: Geospatial certification, Open Source, Geospatial Technology Competency Model, OSGeo ABSTRACT: The geospatial industry is forecasted to have an enormous growth in the forthcoming years and an extended need for well-educated workforce. Hence ongoing education and training play an important role in the professional life. Parallel, in the geospatial and IT arena as well in the political discussion and legislation Open Source solutions, open data proliferation, and the use of open standards have an increasing significance. Based on the Memorandum of Understanding between International Cartographic Association, OSGeo Foundation, and ISPRS this development led to the implementation of the ICA-OSGeo-Lab imitative with its mission “Making geospatial education and opportunities accessible to all”. Discussions in this initiative and the growth and maturity of geospatial Open Source software initiated the idea to develop a framework for a worldwide applicable Open Source certification approach. Generic and geospatial certification approaches are already offered by numerous organisations, i.e., GIS Certification Institute, GeoAcademy, ASPRS, and software vendors, i. e., Esri, Oracle, and RedHat. They focus different fields of expertise and have different levels and ways of examination which are offered for a wide range of fees. The development of the certification framework presented here is based on the analysis of diverse bodies of knowledge concepts, i.e., NCGIA Core Curriculum, URISA B ody Of Knowledge, USGIF Essential Body Of Knowledge, the “Geographic Information: Need to Know, currently under development, and the Geospatial Technology Competency Model GTCM. The latter provides a US American oriented list of the knowledge, skills, and abilities required of workers in the geospatial technology industry and influenced essentially the framework of certification. In addition to the theoretical analysis of existing resources the geospatial community was integrated twofold. An online survey about the relevance of Open Source was performed and evaluated with 105 respondents worldwide. 15 interviews face-to-face or by telephone with experts in different countries provided additional insights into Open Source usage and certification. The findings led to the development of a certification framework of three main categories with in total eleven sub-categories, i.e., “Certified Open Source Geospatial Data Associate Professional”, “Certified Open Source Geospatial Analyst Remote Sensing GIS ”, “Certified Open Source Geospatial Cartographer”, “Certified Open Source Geospatial Expert”, “Certified Open Source Geospatial Associate Developer Professional Developer”, “Certified Open Source Geospatial Architect”. Each certification is described by pre-conditions, scope and objectives, course content, recommended software packages, target group, expected benefits, and the methods of examination. Examinations can be flanked by proofs of professional career paths and achievements which need a peer qualification evaluation. After a couple of years a recertification is required. The concept seeks the accreditation by the OSGeo Foundation and other bodies and international support by a group of geospatial scientific institutions to achieve wide and international acceptance for this Open Source geospatial certification model. A business case for Open Source certification and a corresponding SWOT model is examined to support the goals of the Geo-For- All initiative of the ICA-OSGeo pact. Corresponding author

1. INTRODUCTION

In the growing industry of geospatial technology, skilled and certified professionals are needed DiBiase et al. 2006, Steudler et al. 2010, AAG 2012, Richardson 2013, Davis 2015. Geospatial workforce needs are identified based on different competencies and skills. With the increasing importance of Open Source the related certification can be a significant boost for the geospatial industry and particular for the branches of the industry dealing with Open Source, Open Data, Open Standards, and Open Education. This contribution has been peer-reviewed. doi:10.5194isprsarchives-XLI-B6-57-2016 57 As an indicator of someone’s competencies some sort of demonstrated qualifications and certifications are important. Certification refers here to the process of assuring that individuals’ possess adequate knowledge, skills, and defined competences in a profession. According to Careeronestop 2015a a competency “is the capability to apply or use a set of related knowledge, skills, and abilities required to successfully perform ‘critical work functions’ or tasks in a defined work setting”. In the Geographical Information System GIS profession, academia and industry certifications are most common DiBiase, 2003. In the general IT however current certifications are mostly offered for proprietary software, whereas Open Source software, especially in the geospatial field, has opened new horizons for educators and researchers because of its flexibility and security Petras et al. 2015. Currently there is a need of certification for Open Source which enables user to unfold many new tools within Open Source, open standards, and open data Christl 2014. This certification uses competencies which are depicted by the “Geospatial Technology Competency Model ” GTCM that was developed by the US Department of Labour under supervision of experts and educators since 2010. This certification is expected to support the provision of great technical workforce in geospatial industry. The basis for the creation of the proposed Open Source geospatial certification program lies in the analysis of existing certifications, in personal interviews as well in a worldwide online survey of academic and professional for its market demand. Participants from different parts of the world supported and reinforced the idea of an Open Source certification model. The survey helped improving the quality of certification for different competencies focusing different target groups. Certification needs a thorough and professional handling and organisation. Hence a business model and a SWOT analysis were conducted to conceptualize a business for open solutions.

2. LITERATURE REVIEW AND ANALYSIS OF